To Recycle?

Working on the next release of DeleteThem.

I’m convinced that I need to use a Recycle Bin kind of functionality.

However, the current code (thanks Roel for pointing me in the right direction) uses SHFileOperation, and it is SLOW. Take out the "Undo" flag, which of course is the "send to Recycle Bin" stuff, and bam, fast again.

So I’m not sure what to do.

Do I go with the slow but safe option?

Do I go with the fast but scary option?

Or, the third option, can I somehow create a cool Recycle Bin functionality of my own that combines Safety AND Speed. Hmmm. Interesting.

How Would You Like That Gear Ground?

It really does grind my gears. "It" will be explained shortly.

This blog I see as a breathing space for me apart from the professional face that I’m learning to have when dealing as "Archer Technology Services".

So I’m definately going to have a rant now and again. Hopefully not too often.

Okay. Here goes.

I got whipped today on the Clarion newsgroups (comp.lang.clarion) for announcing DeleteThem. Why?

Because it is just a GUI for the command line DEL function.

Seriously. That’s insanity wrapped in stupid foil. Of course that’s what DeleteThem is! I would never proclaim it to be an awesome product filled with a multitude of magnificant functionality. It’s a nice GUI with a history of deleted files that you can browse or print. That’s about it. There will be more functionality as time goes on perhaps.

But that’s not the real heart of the matter is it?

Since "that article" yesterday, I’ve had a few sides of the coin weigh in. Some have earnestly put their words together. Others have used <g> way too much (of which I am guilty it pains me to say). Others still have just opened up with a six gun. And don’t presume I’m just talking about people who don’t agree with me.

What grinds my gears. What really grinds my gears is that, despite the fact that DeleteThem is a GUI on top of a single function, someone would take time to try and make me feel a fool for daring to announce such an application on the newsgroups. Because we are programmers.

I’d like to start firing off witty harsh phrases right now. They are burning within me.

But what roils within me, stronger still, is a need to call out these folk. Turn. Stop this foolishness. It’s not at all what the community needs. There are always fives sides to why someone says something, or does an act, or thinks a thought. Sure. But right now, the colors I’m wielding are Black and White.

Enough. I’m sick of it, and here I’ve only really been trying hard on the newsgroups for a few days. Can only imagine how some feel after years and years.

To all the readers of this blog who frequent the newsgroups and feel the same way, I have a request. Take an hour a week to post a couple of replies, thoughtfully, with the sole (single and pure) purpose of growing the community. This could be announcing a new product and following up any comments. It could be putting together an insightfully witty animal yarn. Perhaps you’d just like to encourage those new faces asking questions.

Whatever it is, please let’s bring it. Enough is enough.

I’d Cry If There Were Any Tears Left

Ha ha ha. I’ve been reading way too much fiction lately. Melodrama.

Anyway, a few things.

The Day The Whiner Cried .. A Call To Arms is an article done up for the nourishment and benefit of the Clarion Community. Read it and weep. No. Read it and Be Encouraged!

Work is progressing with Archer. I’m readying a new release of DeleteThem (this subdomain redirect seems to be broken, here’s the actual link). I’ll be pushing out releases of all three products within the next while. A major component of each release will be the Updating functionality, courtesy of SafeUpdate, another fabulous Capesoft product.

Apart from that I’m gearing up for sales. Have realised that each of the Product components on the Archer site needs a "Pricing" page. Will probably do that tonight. Sales is something I want to get right from the beginning, but the reality is, I won’t. So, I want to get as much right as I can. Be as prepared as possible, so that when something goes tutsup, I can respond quickly and efficiently.

Been having fun getting more active on the newsgroups. Am trying to make it a daily thing. Not the perusing, cause that’s easy. The active conversing. Pimping the site, products, but also just being a presence.

Lastly, I’d like to point you in the direction of Clarion Desktop. This is a product created by Gary James of Strategy Online. I’ve been rabbiting on lately (see article above, and the Fox story) about Community etc for a while. Gary has built a product that is _all_ about community. It’s a great piece of workmanship. Sure, there are probably things that could be done with it, I’m not worried about that right now. What I see in Clarion Desktop is a vehicle for great things. Purpose. Vision. A product such as Clarion Desktop allows us to pass something easy and awesome onto newbies. It’s going to make life for old timers, middle timers, and new timers a lot easier .. PLUS .. it’s a news portal. Gossip door. "Wha’s Happenin" linkage. This is good. Very. Good. So thumbs up for Gary! And at something like 30 dollars for a years subscription, it’s a no brainer for supporting the community.

Cheers,

A Big Weekend Out

Well. Phew.

As per the previous post, I’ve been working my tail off .. but no longer for imaginary ideas and applications designated to be just on my hard drive, never seeing the light of day. This work .. the WORLD can see! Whoot.

http://www.archertechnologyservices.com is just going off. It’s such an amazing-ling empowering experience. I’m actually the destiny of this master .. or something like that. Very cool.

I’m aware that a lot of folk have already gone through this experience, and that there’s lots more hurdles coming to .. overcome. It’s just hard to contain the excitement at this point in time. Fervour. Belief. Joy. Awesome.

I had a very naive idea of getting all three products (SecretKeep, Rasp and DeleteThem) ready for distribution this weekend. It was 2am this morning (Sunday), the install of SecretKeep had finally gone through enough testing to get it on the site for download .. when I realised .. it ain’t gonna happen. Although the other two will be considerably faster. I had to furrow a lot of ground with SecretKeep ..

There was the general functionality of the application. Testing on another machine (only one at the moment). The Help file (thanks to Dr. Explain was quicker to push out than it would have been). The Licence stuff (even though it’s in Beta .. i’m still not quite sure about what goes on there). The Installation file itself (do I use my Tarma ExpressInstall which has been discontinued, or InnoSetup, the freebie. I went with Tarma).

Now that I have a rough list of stuff (and I’m not stupid enough to believe it’s everything yet) that needs to happen, like said, the other two should go a little quicker. Not working Sunday’s put a dent in the speed, but I _anticipate_ getting Rasp and DeleteThem up for download (ha ha .. up .. down) Monday night (aussie time).

Anyway, off to watch some Arrested Development .. man that’s a funny show.